An unexplained explosion has hit the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars-Erzurum gas pipeline in eastern Turkey, a provincial governor has told Anadolu Agency.
Gunay Ozdemir said the blast happened in the early hours of Tuesday morning at a section of the pipeline located in the Sarikamis district of Kars province; gas flow was cut in Yagbasan village for safety reasons.
'An investigation is underway into the explosion and the necessary measures have been taken,' Ozdemir said.
Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum, BTE, pipeline, also known as the South Caucasus pipeline, carries around 6.6 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year from the Shah Deniz gas field in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea to Turkey.
Last week, the Kirkuk-Ceyhan oil pipeline was attacked in southeastern Sirnak province, in an incident blamed on Kurdistan Workers’ Party militants.
The bombing took place 18 kilometers [11 miles] inside the Cizre district of Sirnak province, next to Turkey’s border with Iraq.
By Servet Gunerigok
Anadolu Agency
enerji@aa.com.tr